College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

5 Colleges in Illinois
72 Master's Degrees
$84,285 Avg Early-Career Salary
a master's degree in design & applied arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #72 out of 343 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 5 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 72 master's degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Master's Degree

Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The design master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality design program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for design & applied arts students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Design Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in Illinois

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in design & applied arts.

Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Design

1
6 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a master's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from Northwestern University

1

Illinois Institute of Technology is a good choice for students pursuing a master's degree in design & applied arts. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

Those design & applied arts students who get their master's degree from Illinois Institute of Technology make $32,288 more than the average design graduate.

More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from Illinois Institute of Technology

2
17 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Chicago is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from University of Illinois at Chicago

3
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
12 Annual Graduates

DePaul University is a good choice for students pursuing a master's degree in design & applied arts. DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from DePaul University

4

Bradley University is a great choice for individuals interested in a master's degree in design & applied arts. Bradley is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Peoria.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from Bradley University

5
15 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 211 34
Ohio 207 90
Indiana 191 16
Wisconsin 173 3

View All Rankings >

Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Design Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Visual Communications 27
Other Design & Applied Arts 18
Graphic Design 11
Game & Interactive Media Design 7
Fashion Design 6
Industrial Design 3

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 323
Fine & Studio Arts 248
Drama & Theater Arts 100
Arts & Media Management 91
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 58
General Visual & Performing Arts 9
Other Visual Art 5
Dance 3

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options